Tales from the 22

As the cold months set in, a front of particularly inclement weather has drenched York. Plus ça change, if we’re being pretentious.
That said, all year the winds of change have been blowing in the echelons of the York Sport Union under York Sport President Grace Clarke.
There is a certain momentum engulfing sport at York at present, particularly evinced in its approach to diversity. Rainbow laces are a regular sight on the touchlines this year, and plans are in place for the whole of the White Rose army to sport them for Varsity and Roses.
Aesthetic this may be, but it represents a changing of the issue-space towards inclusivity that had not previously occurred.
The Equal Opportunities scheme is perhaps the clearest example of the Union’s ongoing commitment to broadening its base. It takes the form of several sessions with liberation groups around the University, providing an open forum to discuss barriers to sport – an idea which the Union must, and is, tackling head on. The take-up of Equal Opportunities officers on club committees has, I’m told, been good and sessions have been very well attended.
Research has been floating around to prove that sport has somewhat passed by certain demographics of the student body, such as postgraduate and international students, and in York Active there is a scheme that specifically targets this.
The ‘This Girl Can’ campaign captured imaginations across the country and, going forward, Grace is in discussions to increase the number of women-only exercise sessions which testify to the interest that is out there.
Student media coverage is, I believe, a crucial part of creating a sense of unity and momentum in sport at an institution.
It can also serve to promote diversity, which was a key area in which I wanted to develop Nouse coverage when I first arrived.
In the spirit of reflection as this is my final edition, we have tried to ensure that achievement in sport gets the recognition that it deserves, regardless of its status. It was a source of pride to hear from the Sports Co-Ordinator that, as a woman in sport, she thought of the section as a beacon of excellence.
Hopefully, in our own small way, we have made a difference.